Shaker chute construction



D. U. RICH Filed DSC. 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l June l2, 1934.

SHAKER CHUTE CONSTRUCTION A'' "fil 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. U. RICH SHAKERCHUTE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec.

June 12, 1 934.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY .5a/mid Patented June 12, 1934 PATEFq FFCE SHAKERCHUTE CNSTRUCTIN Donald U. Rich, Tcaneck, N. J., assigner to AmericanCar and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New JerseyApplication December 4, 1933, Serial No. 709,856

Claims.

This invention relates to reciprocating conveyors of the trough type forconveying material, such as coal or the like, from one place to another,and known in the art generally as shaker chutes.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved shaker chute construction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shaker chuteconstruction embodying 10 a ball frame and a trough supported thereby insuch a manner as to permit independent rocking thereof relative to theball frame.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a shakerchute construction embodying l5v a ball frame and a trough supportedthereby through the medium of a connecting element which isinterfittingly supported on the ball frame.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved ball frame for shaker chutes.

Devices of the character shown and described, while in service, are notalways arranged in a Atrue horizontal plane. This is due to inequalitiesin the mine floor, and because of such a condition it is necessary thatball frames be o such a character as to permit rocking movement of thetrough relative to the ball frame. In View of this, another object ofthis invention is the prov vision of a ball frame for Shaker chutes inwhich a trough is connected thereto for reciprocation, the connectionbeing eiected through the medium of a reciprocable ball frame member anda connecting element rigidly secured to the trough; said member andelement being intertted through complementary formed portions in such amanner as to permit the trough to have substantially a rocking movementrelative to the ball frame, and relative to said reciprocable ball framemember.

Still another object oi this invention is the provision of a new andimproved body member for ball frames of shaker chutes.

A still further object of this invention is the l5 provision of a shakerchute construction comprising a reciprocable body member, a trough andmeans connecting the trough to the body member, the body member andconnecting element being so formed that a single point support iscreated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of one form of thepresent invention, certain parts being broken away to disclose otherparts in section;

Fig. 2 is a partial side eleva-tion of the construction shown in Figure1, a certain part of said figure being taken on the line 2 2, Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an end View of the ball frame shown in Figure 1, certain partsthereof being shown in section on the line 3 3, Figure 1; Y

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the connecting element secured to thetrough;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in section, of the ball frame body member;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the ball frame body member, the View beingtaken on the line 6 6, Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, in section, showing one of the racewayswith the anti-friction elements therein, the view also showing thecentral spacer for said anti-friction elements;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional View through one of the raceways, theView being taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 9; Y

Fig. 9 is a sectional View on the line 9 9, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the assemblyof the T and the ball frame body member;

Fig. l1 is a sectional view on the line 11-11, Fig. 3, the View alsoshowing in dotted lines the T in shifted position;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12 12, Fig. 13;

Fig. 13 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of amodified form of ball frame body member, the view also showing a Tassociated therewith and being taken on the line 13 13, Fig. 14;

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of a modied form of ball frame body member,the View also showing a portion of a T associated therewith;

Fig. 15 is a sectional View of another modiiied form of the invention,the View being taken on the line 15-15, Fig. 16;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the modied form of the invention shown insection in Fig. 15, the View being taken on the line 16 16, Fig. 17;

Fig. 17 is a partial top plan view of the modied form of the inventionshown in Figs. 15 and 16, the view also showing a T associated with theball frame body member;

Fig. 18 is a sectional View showing still another modied form of theinvention, the View being taken on the line 18-18, Fig. 19; and

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary top plan View of the modied form shown in Fig.18.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which similarcharacters of reference designate similar parts in the several views,and with specific reference to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the ball frameof the present invention comprises a base frame A and a reciprocablebody member B with which a trough section C of a conveyor is connectedby means of a connecting element D.

The base frame A, in the instance shown, comprises spaced channel shapedsupporting members 2, connected by upwardly extending inwardly facingangles 4 which constitute guideways or track members for suitableanti-friction elements such as the balls 6 which are adapted to roll onthe members 4 and which support the body member B as presently to bedescribed.

The body member B comprises a metal plate 8, the marginal edge portionsof which are downwardly flanged to provide side and end stiffeningelements 10 and 12, respectively, the end flanges 12 dependingvertically downwardly from the upper surface of the plate and havingangle members 16 secured thereto by fasteners 18, said members 16constituting upper track members. As more clearly shown in Fig. 3, thehorizontal flanges of the angles 16 are so arranged as to rest upon theanti-friction elements 6 and to extend beneath in-turned flanges 19formed on the upper edge portions of the vertical legs of the angles 4.The fasteners 18 also secure a spacer 20 (see Fig. 7) which, viewed inplan, is substantially channel shaped with the legs 22 thereofprojecting to serve as stop elements for retaining the balls 6 in spacedrelation and for confining the balls to a limited rolling movement, Thebefore-mentioned fasteners 18 also serve to secure to the inner surfacesof the flanges 12 of the body member B a stop element 24 which isadapted to contact -with the supporting elements 2 and limitreciprocatory movement of said body member.

As clearly shown inv Figs. l to 3 inclusive, the end portions of theplate 8 slope gradually downwardly as at 26 toward the end flanges 12.It can also be seen that, in general, the plate 8 is curved transversely(see Fig. 2). Between the sloping end portions 26, spaced arcuatedepressions or recesses 28 are formed in the plate on opposite sides,lengthwise of the plate, of a pair of alined recesses 30 arranged inspacedl relation transversely of the plate 8 and approximately midwaybetween the ends thereof. As will be apparent from the description tofollow, the `depressions 28 constitute .f bearing portions for theconnecting element D.

Along opposite sides of the recesses 28 and extending lengthwise of theplate between the recesses 30 and the sloping end portions 26 areshoulders 32 which obviously serve to enlarge the recesses ,'28 or, inother words, to increase the effective bearing-areas thereof. Theseshoulders are shown clearlyin elevation in Fig. 5 and in section in Fig.6.

Formed lengthwise in the plate approximately midway between the sideedges thereof is a slot 34 which cuts through the bearing portions orrecemes 28, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, l0 and 1l, and whichserves to position the connecting element D, the latter, in the instanceshown, comprising a T having a head portion 36 and a leg 38 arranged inthe slot 34.

The T D is shaped to the vform shown clearly in Figs. 4, 10 and 11, theyhead portion 36 of said T being vpressed or otherwise suitably formed ini such a manner as to provide 4bearing elements-40 spaced longitudinallyof the T and complemental in form to the recesses 28; said bearingelements 40 being adapted to seat in the bearing portions 28, theresulting assembly therefore being one in which the connecting element Dand the body member B are inter-fitted for service, the constructionconstituting a single point support, which, in the instance shown, isarranged adjacent the leg 38 of the T, as clearly shown in Figure 10.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 4, the head portion 36 of the T D isprovided with spaced pairs of openings 42, three pairs being shown inthe drawings, which openings take rivets 44 (see Fig. 3) to connect theT to the trough. The openings 42 are so arranged that the heads of thecenter row of rivets will be arranged at the center recesses 30, saidrecesses providing an arrangement whereby the rivet heads do not contactor otherwise frictionally engage the plate 8. Due to the downward slope26 at the end portions of the plate 8 it can be seen that clearancesuicient to prevent frictional engagement of the heads of the outer rowsof rivets with the plate 8 is provided: and further, said downwardlysloping portions provide a construction which permits transverse rockingor tilting of the trough and its associated T relative to the bodymember B.

In service, a number of trough sections C are connected end to end andseveral ball frames are provided for supporting these connected troughs.Due to inequalities in the mine floor the assembled units are obviouslynot always in the same hori- Zontal plane and this necessitates theprovision of a ball frame in which rocking or tilting movement of thetrough directly associated therewith should be permitted. In theinstance shown in Figs. 1 to 4, 10 and 11, rocking movement of thetrough longitudinally relative to the ball frame body member B ispermitted by the complementally inter-fitted portions of the connectingmember D and body member B as clearly shown in'full lines in Fig. 10 andin dotted lines in Fig. 11, said last named figure showing in full linesthe connecting element D in its normal position. It will also beapparent that both longitudinal and transverse rocking or tilting of thetrough is permitted without frictional contact of the rivets 42 and thebody member 8.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 12

cation of the invention wherein it can be seen that the body member B isprovided with spaced pairs of depressed bearing portions arranged onopposite sides of the slot 34, these bearing portions 50 being adaptedto receive complementally formed bearings 52 formed in spaced relationvin the head of the T D as shown clearly in Fig. l5. 17 inclusive, areelongated and are arranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the bodymember B.l

Figs. 18 and 19 show a. still further modification of the presentinvention in which the body member B is provided with a plurality ofsub- The bearing portions 50 of Figs. l5 to 25.-.'

lidi) element-secured to the trough and provided with spacer 20 and theopposite flange 62.

stantially circular depressed bearing portions 54 arranged in rows alongopposite sides of the slot 34 in the body member and said bearingportions 54 are adapted to receive complementally formed bearingelements 56 formed in the head portion of the T D.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the body member B and its associated track member 16in shifted position and it can be seen that the spacer 20 has caused oneof the anti-friction elements 6 to be shifted to substantially the limitof its rolling movement toward the right as viewed in said Figs. 8 and9. For limiting the rolling movement of the antifriction elements 6 inthe guideway defined by members 4 and 16 an abutment 58 extends into theguideway at a point substantially midway between the ends of the member4; said abutment being preferably secured to the attaching ange 60 ofthe track member 4. During shifting movement of the body member B andits associated track member 16 to the right as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9,it can be seen that the spacer element 20 will positively move one ofthe anti-friction elements 6 to the right while movement of the oppositeelement 6 to the right may be effected by the down-turned flange 62 sothat upon reversal of movement of the track member 16 and the bodymember B, should the anti-friction elements 6 be inclined to stick theyare positively moved by the lI'he provision of the spacer 20 and theabutment 58 provides a construction in which the anti-friction elements6 are always maintained in spaced relation which thus prevents anytendency of the body member B and its track member 16 to become cockedor arranged relative to the track member 4 as to bind thereagainst inservice.

From the above description it is believed that the construction andoperation of the ball frame of the present invention will be fullyapparent to those skilled in the art. The drawings herein illustratecertain embodiments of the invention but it is to be understood thatthey are for illustrative purposes only and various changes in the formand proportions of the construction may be made within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting projecting bearing elementsarranged in longitudinally spaced relation with respect to saidconnecting element, and a ball frame having a reciprocable body memberwith which said convnecting element is connected, said body member beingprovided with depressed bearing portions arranged in longitudinallyspaced relation and receiving said bearing elements.

2. In a shaker chute, a trough, a ball frame having a reciprocable bodymember, and a connecting element secured to the trough and extended intothe body member, said body member and connecting element havingcomplementally .formed intertted portions alined transversely relativeto the body member, said interiitted portions being so formed andarranged as to permit independent rocking movement or" the trough.

3. A ball frame for use with shaker chutes comprising a reciprocablymounted body member having adjacently arranged depressed bearingportions formed in its upper surface adapted to receive bearing membersof a shaker chute in said depressed portions.

4. A ball frame for use with shaker chutes comprising a reciprocablysupported body member having adjacently arranged depressedbearingportions formed in longitudinally spaced relation in its uppersurface andeach adapted to receive a bearing member of a shaker chutetherein.

5. In a ball frame for shaker chutes, a base frame comprising spacedtrack-ways, anti-friction elements movably supported on the trackways,and a trough-supporting body member reciprocably mounted on saidanti-friction elements and comprising a plate extending between thetrackways and having adjacently arranged depressed bearing portionsformed therein and each adapted to receive a bearing member of a shakerchute.

6. In a ball frame for shaker chutes, a base frame comprising spacedtrack-ways, anti-fric-v tion elements movably supported on thetrackways, and a trough-supporting body member reciprocably mounted onsaid anti-friction elements and comprising a plate having flangesdepending from the end portions thereof, the end portions of said platesloping gradually upward from the flanges, and depressed bearingportions formed in said plate between said upwardly sloping portions andarranged in longitudinally spaced relation, said depressed bearingportions each being adapted to receive a bearing member of a shakerchute.

7. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting element secured to thetrough and provided with bearing elements, and a ball frame having areciprocable body member into which said connectng element extends, saidbody member having integrally formed bearing portions in which thebearing elements are seated, said bearing elements and bearing portionsbeing alined transversely of the body member and so arranged as topermit longitudinal rocking movement of the trough independently of thebody member.

8. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting element secured to thetrough and including a depending portion, said connecting element havingprojecting bearing elements formed therewith, and a ball framecomprising spaced tracks and a reciprocable body member extendingbetween the tracks and into which said depending portion projects, saidbody member having depressed bearing portions receiving said bearingelements.

9. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting element secured to thetrough and including a depending portion, said connecting element havingprojecting bearing elements formed therewith adjacent the dependingportion, and a ball frame comprising spaced tracks and a reciprocablebody member extending between the tracks and into which said dependingportion projects, said body member having depressed bearing portionsreceiving said bearing elements.

10. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting element secured to thetrough and including a depending portion, said connecting element beingprovided with projecting bearing elements formed adjacent the dependingportion and arranged in longitudinally spaced relation, and a ball framehaving a reciprocable body member into which said depending portionextends, said body member having a depressed bearing portion receivingsaid bearing elements.

11. In a shaker chute, a reciprocable body member having depressedbearing portions formed therein, a trough, a connecting element havingbearing elements formed therewith and so arranged as to cooperate withthe bearing portions in sucha manner as to permit independent rockingmovement thereof relative to the body member, and fasteners securing theconnecting element to the trough, the cooperating bearing portions andbearing elements serving to space the fasteners from the body member inall positions of the trough.

12. In a shaker chute, a reciproeable body member, a trough, aconnecting element, and fasteners securing the connecting element to thetrough, said connecting element having downwardly projecting bearingelements resting on the body member and spacing the fasteners from thebody member whereby to maintain said fasteners out of frictionalengagement with said body member.

13. In a shaker chute, a trough, a ball frame having spaced tracks, areciprocable body member` extending between said tracks, and aconmeeting element secured to said trough and extended into the bodymember, said body' member and connecting element having complementallyformed intertted bearing portions so arranged as to permit independentrocking movement of the trough.

14. In a shaker chute, a trough, a connecting element secured to thetrough formed with a downwardly extending bearing portion, a ballrDONALD U. RICH.

